The Iron Man - Forces & Magnetism
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The Iron Man by Ted Hughes is a well known children's story. It follows the arrival of an Iron Man appears, who feeds on local farm equipment. When the farm hands discover their destroyed tractors and diggers, a trap is set consisting of a covered pit on which a red lorry is set as bait. Hogarth, a local boy, lures the Iron Man to the trap. The plan succeeds, and the Iron Man is buried alive. The next spring, the Iron Man digs himself free of the pit. To keep him out of the way, the boy Hogarth takes charge and brings the Iron Man to a metal scrap-heap. The Iron Man promises not to cause further trouble for the locals, as long as no one troubles him. Later on, an enormous space-being, resembling a dragon, moving from orbit to land on Earth. The creature crashes heavily on Australia and demands that humans provide him with food. The Iron Man hears of the fearsome creature and challenges him to a duel. If the Iron Man can withstand the heat of burning petrol for longer than the space being can withstand the heat of the Sun, the creature must obey the Iron Man's commands forevermore; if the Iron Man melts or is afraid of melting before the space being undergoes or fears pain in the Sun, the creature has permission to devour the whole Earth.The alien creature admits defeat. This book is a good setting through which children could:
Key scientific vocabulary: force, magnetic force, magnet, strength, bar magnet, ring magnet, button magnet, horseshoe magnet, attract, repel, poles, metal, iron, steel, Other fiction books with a similar theme: Clockwork - Philip Pullman Lighthouse Keepers Lunch - Ronda & David Armitage Mr Archimedes’ Bath – Pamela Allen Egg Drop – Mini Grey Mrs Armitage Queen of the Road – Quentin Blake |
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- STEM Club
- Activity sheet
- External link
STEM Club
Forces and Recycling
Within this resource from CIEC the Marvellous Magnets activity encourages children to think about how the properties of magnets might be used to help with sorting waste for recycling. Through practical enquiry the children discover that iron and steel are magnetic materials but other metals are not. They sort household waste into different materials and further sort metal cans into steel and aluminium.
The children could investigate how the Iron Man could use magnets to draw the pieces of his body together on the beach. Which is the strongest magnet? How could they scientifically prove this?
Activity sheet
Forces and Magnets
The powerpoint presentation introduces class investigations on magnetic materials and on the forces of attraction and repulsion using bar magnets. It demonstrates how to make a compass and looks at the Earths’ magnetic field. It also shows how magnets are used in tiny motors to make things move.
Children could investigate the strongest magnet, they could investigate if all magnets have poles and look for patterns in the way that magnets behave. They could investigate if magnets work at a distance and how great that distance can be before the magnet doesn't seem to work.
In chapter two Hogarth has a plan to stop the Iron Man from eating all the metal. Teachers could challenge the children to design a magnetic machine to stop the Iron Man from moving and destroying the farm machinery.
External link
GOOGLE EXPEDITION LESSON RECYCLING
In this lesson, students learn how materials are sorted for recycling. Discussions cover the students’ sorting processes in the home, as well as the use of giant magnets in an industrial recycling plant. The students test their understanding by writing about the journey of a tin can through the recycling plant. Extension ideas include scientifically testing the strength of various magnets and designing a recycling campaign for the school.
In chapter three the iron man rises from the mound is eating all the metal in site. Until Hogarth suggests that he moves to the scrap metal yard. The children could help the iron man identify the most magnetic and therefore most tasty metals to eat. Which metals are not magnetic?
Magnetic Maze
This activity provides a fun way to explore magnetism. It involves the simple task of using a magnet to guide a coin through a maze drawn on the side of a plastic bottle. There is plenty of opportunity to think about and talk about how magnetism works, and why magnets only attract certain materials. The children could design and make their own magnetic game.
Another question children could investigate is - why are some 1p, 2p, 5p and 10p coins magnetic – while others are not? Can they find which coins are and aren't magnetic?
As a result of the rising price of base metals, the composition of 1p and 2p coins was changed from bronze to copper-plated steel in 1992. Since then all 1p and 2p coins intended for circulation have been struck in copper-plated steel, with the exception of a quantity of 1998-dated 2p coins which were produced in the traditional bronze.
Likewise, the composition of 5p and 10p coins was changed from
cupro-nickel to nickel-plated steel in 2011.
Plated steel coins have the same weight and diameter as those issued in the traditional alloys but their steel core makes them magnetic.
BITESIZE SUPERPOWERFUL MAGNETS
A top scientist has invented super strong magnetic grippers. These allow a man to climb the outside of a steel tower. The magnetic grippers were funded by the military who wanted to be able to scale tall buildings unaided. The actual mission for which they were intended remains top secret! Outside of military life, the magnetic grippers could be used for inspecting bridges, climbing towers or checking off-shore oil wells. The children could analyse the pros and cons of this top secret invention and may come up with some of their own designs.
